The Peregrine Audubon Society will host West County Hawk Watch with Larry Broderick on Tuesday, Feb. 20 at 7 p.m. at the Ukiah City Council Chambers, 300 Seminary Ave. Larry Broderick manages the West County Hawk Watch. Join them for this enthusiastic and informative presentation by Broderick about the resident, migrant and over-wintering birds of prey (“raptors”) in Northern California. Larry’s fascinating and visually-exciting presentation includes not only wonderful first-hand stories from the field, but also is packed with interesting information about raptor habits, identification, and suggestions of where to spot them, as well as some interesting one-of-a-kind and rare special surprises.

(West County HawkWatch {WCHW} story), Larry Broderick and Jesse House started WCHW back in 1996, photographing hawks, recording numbers and building a website. Fast forward 2018. There is currently a team of a over 100 hardcore Raptor enthusiasts, with four dozen professional photographers. When called into action they can rally more. They’ve saved Swainson hawks nesting sites, protected Peregrine Falcon nesting locations and documented migration movements of raptors here in our region. They are tuned in to the current plan to build Wind Power in Sonoma County and are working to protect vital flyways and habitats from Green Power, once approved, any wind machines should be of the latest bird friendly design. No more mistakes like the tripods that are still in use on the Altamont Pass. They also study the over-wintering Ferruginous and Rough-legged Hawks in the area, as well as the current resurgence of Bald Eagles in the region.

Broderick is a Sonoma County Birds of Prey Natural History and Interpretive Specialist, Jenner Headlands Hawk Watch Director and Certified California Naturalist. He has been working with birds of prey as an educational specialist for over 25 years. For the last 10 years he has led walks, hikes and presentations with Solano and Sonoma Land Trusts, Madrone Audubon, Bird Rescue Center and Redwood Regional Ornithological Society. Larry conducts Bird and Wildlife surveys for the Wildlands Conservancy, Sonoma Land Trust and Pepperwood Preserve. He also assists dozens of docents, photographers and tour guides in the course of his work. Broderick is certified for wildlife rehabilitation with the Bird Rescue Center and Kenwood Wildlife Center.